KOREAN AIR RETURNS DUE TO DEFECT

KOREAN AIR RETURNS DUE TO DEFECT

[Anchor Lead]
Yesterday afternoon, a Korean Air flight to Taiwan made an emergency return due to a mechanical issue. During a rapid descent, some passengers experienced nosebleeds and pain, reportedly caused by the sudden altitude change. Here's more.

[Pkg]
Oxygen masks have been deployed over every seat inside the cabin. Korean Air flight number 189 carrying 129 passengers from Incheon to Taiwan Saturday afternoon at around 5 p.m. returned some 50 minutes after takeoff. The airplane came back when it detected an abnormality with its cabin pressurization system. The aircraft which was flying at over 30,000 feet was forced to descend rapidly to 9,000 feet, causing pain for several passengers. Two passengers had nosebleeds and one complained of hyperventilation. Immediately after landing, thirteen passengers were transported to the hospital.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Kim Kwang-il (Silla University): A problem with the cabin pressurization system causes oxygen shortage. So, the pilots must drop the altitude to 8,000 or 9,000 feets.

The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Last October this model was being investigated for a defect identified in the pressure bulkhead made to withstand air pressure. An official with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation said, however, that no pressure bulkhead issue was found so far. The return appeared to have been caused by the pressurization system that regulates the pressure difference between the interior and the exterior of the fuselage. Eighty-seven of the passengers took another flight to Taichung International Airport in Taiwan at around 10:30 Sunday morning. Korean Air apologized to the passengers while looking into what had caused the malfunction. Meanwhile, the government sent an official document to local carriers to inspect the air pressurization systems in their planes.

SNU MED PROFESSORS RETURN TO WORK

[Anchor Lead]
Medical professors at four hospitals of Seoul National University ended their strike and returned to work on Monday. The professors began walking out of their jobs on last Monday in protest against the government's medical admission quota hike ad punitive steps against trainee doctors. An emergency committee of the SNU medical professors said that despite the halt of their walkout, they will continue to fight against the government's medical reform plan. Medical professors at Severance Hospital of Yonsei University and Seoul Asan Medical center of Ulsan University announced that they will leave their duties en masse on Thursday and on July 4. respectively. Professors at the medical schools of Catholic University and Sungkyunkwan University will hold general meetings on Tuesday to decide on whether or not to commence a collective walkout.

"WEAPONS TO UKRAINE DEPENDS ON RUSSIA"

[Anchor Lead]
After Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea, Russia and North Korea have effectively tightened their military alliance. In response, South Korea is reevaluating its weapon support to Ukraine. National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin noted that weapon support could vary with Russia's actions. He warned that if Russia supplies advanced weapons to North Korea, no lines remain for South Korea to observe.

[Pkg]
Russia will not transfer key military technologies to North Korea, and South Korea will not provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. This is the so-called "red line" mentioned by the two countries so far. National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin says the latest treaty signed between North Korea and Russia has made Moscow closer to the red line. He warned if Moscow goes ahead to provide high-tech weapons to Pyongyang, there will be no more line remaining for Seoul.

[Soundbite]
Chang Ho-jin (National security adviser): If they provide precision weapons to the North, there would be no more line for us. The public will agree. Russia needs to take that into account.

Some watchers say Russia has already crossed the line by signing the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with the North. However, Chang left the door open by saying it depends on Russia's future actions. This means Seoul will decide on the mix of South Korean lethal or non-lethal weapons to Ukraine after further grasping Moscow's intentions and its next step regarding weapon transfer.

[Soundbite]
Chang Ho-jin (National security adviser): If Russia wants to restore and further develop its relations with S.Korea after the war in Ukraine, it should think about it prudently.

Regarding the North Korean army's construction of anti-tank walls in the DMZ, Chang said their purpose is to block any contact with the South.

[Soundbite]
Chang Ho-jin (National security adviser): Positive sentiment toward South Korea has become a threat to their regime, so they are trying to cut it off first.

He also said Seoul is preparing for various scenarios, because if more leaflets are sent to the North, Pyongyang could carry out an armed provocation in retaliation.

CHANGED RAINFALL PATTERN IN SUMMER

[Anchor Lead]
KBS has partnered with the Korean Meteorological Society and the Korea Meteorological Administration to conduct an in-depth analysis of the monsoon across the Korean Peninsula. The latest data indicates a clear shift in the nature of the monsoon, as it could be seen in Jejudo Island, which experienced its second highest rainfall in a single day.

[Pkg]
[Soundbite]
(Korean News (July 12, 1959)): Since it began in early July, the rain has been soaking the entire nation for ten days, causing floods for the first time this year.

In the past, the rainy season lasted for about a month, bringing a third of the annual total precipitation. After the monsoon season was over in late July, a sweltering heat wave rolled through the nation.

[Soundbite]
(Korean News (July 25, 1990)): As the long rainy season is over, more and more people go to the mountains and beaches to escape the heat.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Yeh Sang-wook (Korean Meteorological Society (Hanyang Univ.)): At that time, the start and end of the rainy season were clear. Even during the rainy season, it didn't rain for three or four days.

Compared to the past, a recent distinctive phenomenon is that heavier downpours batter narrower regions. KBS conducted an analysis with a group of meteorological experts and found that this change has been obvious in the East Asian region, including the Korean Peninsula and, over the past three decades.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Chang Eun-chul (Kongju Nat'l University): The rate of rain showers is constantly increasing. It can be seen as intensification in precipitation.

A major reason is a surging amount of vapor amid global warming. In particular, Korea is greatly affected by vapor from China. When vapor, blocked by the Tibetan Plateau and locked on southern China, streams into the Korean Peninsula, it causes downpours.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Son Seok-woo (Korean Meteorological Society (Seoul Nat'l Univ.)): It is easy to think that more vapor comes in from the ocean. But the ones coming in from the Chinese inland are far more dangerous. It gains strength...when traveling over the West Sea. We call it an atmospheric river.

The temperature goes up in Siberia due to global warming and triggers heavy rains in Korea. A relatively colder air mass comes in toward the Korean Peninsula and collides with the vapor to generate explosive rain clouds.

[Soundbite]
Kim Seong-mook (Korea Meteorological Administration): Downpours may not fall if there is only warm air. But the two different air masses encounter and mix up, creating a vortex and increasing volatility. This is the most worrisome situation.

With more localized torrential downpours falling during the summer rainy season, risks of complex disasters are also growing, as regions that remain rainless are exposed to heat waves.

[Soundbite]
Prof. Jeong Jee-hoon (Chonnam Nat'l University): The monsoon season poses risks of both heavy rains and heat waves. We need to prepare for more complex disasters as well as localized downpours...caused by a stronger monsoon front.

Experts call for new, different approaches to prepare for and prevent damage that can occur during the monsoon season, which is showing a changed rainfall pattern.

[Soundbite]
Kim Seong-mook (Korea Meteorological Administration): When a region is hit by a climate disaster, most seniors assume no disaster will occur based on their experience, but their regions are vulnerable to...climate disasters. So we need to accept that it has changed a lot from the past.

VEGAN VILLAGE IN GANGWON-DO PROV.

[Anchor Lead]
Two years ago, urban youths moved en masse to a remote mountain village in Inje, Gangwon-do. They were drawn by opportunities to own pets and spread vegetarian culture. Now, they are actively addressing regional depopulation.

[Pkg]
A mountainous village in Inje, Gangwon-do Province, home to just some 80 people. A young family feeds the cattle.

[Soundbite]
Watch out for the horns, you will get hurt.

They moved here from a city two years ago. Five families of animal rights activists moved to this village together in search of a place to raise dairy cows that had been rescued from an illegal dog farm.

[Soundbite]
Lee Ji-yeon (Head of Sinwol-ri Youth Assoc., dir. of Donghaemul): We chose this village as the right place to live with our six cows.

The eldest members are still in their 40s and are the youngest residents of this village. Thanks to their social media promotion, over 1,600 tourists visited the village for farming experiences last year, increasing by more than 20% in one year and bringing new vitality to the community.

[Soundbite]
Jeon Bo-hwa (Sinwol-ri Village Chief): We get to see all kinds of people. Many young people also visit our village. It's more lively these days.

As the popularity of rustic lifestyle continues to rise, efforts are underway to open the first vegan village in Korea. The central and local governments have decided to invest 600 million won, or around 430,000 dollars, in the project. A free-range farm, a lodging facility and a vegan culture experience center will be created on the site of a closed school. Vegetarian dishes will be developed using agricultural produce cultivated in the village.

[Soundbite]
Kim Sang-beom (Gangwon-do Prov. Gov't): Inje will have the nation's first vegan culture center as part of the project to promote each region's specialty.

The bold adventures of young villagers are becoming a promising solution for regions facing the risk of depopulation.

DENMARK RAMEN RECALL WENT VIRAL

[Anchor Lead]
A recent Danish recall of super spicy Korean noodles unexpectedly boosted global interest, with searches hitting record highs this month. Despite safety concerns over high capsaicin levels, extensive media coverage by outlets like BBC and AP has spotlighted the noodles even further.

[Pkg]
The Danish government had recently issued a recall on some super spicy Korean noodles. But the measure seems to have ended up doing a favor for the popular noodles by drawing attention to the product. According to Google Trends on Sunday, the online search for 'Buldak Hot Chicken Noodles' worldwide set a record high this month. The number of searches doubled compared to last October and rose by four times since March 2023. Moreover, after the Danish government's recall, several international news outlets like BBC and AP reported on it and shared people's experiences, further fueling the buzz. On June 11th, the Danish government ordered the recall of three types of Buldak noodles from the local market, citing high capsaicin levels posing a risk of acute toxicity. In response, manufacturer Samyang Foods, measured the capsaicin levels with a certified domestic agency and submitted a rebuttal letter to the Danish government on June 19th.

BYEON WOO-SEOK BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS

[Anchor Lead]
Now turning to entertainment news. Actor Byeon Woo-seok's recent fan meeting in Manila made waves again. He unexpectedly teared up watching fan videos, deeply moved. The emotional scene went viral, raising concerns among fans about his hectic lifestyle and privacy issues due to his surging popularity.


[Pkg]
Actor Byeon Woo-seok's overseas fan meeting caused another sensation. The popular rom-com male lead held a large fan meeting on Saturday in Manila, Philippines. While on the stage, he suddenly broke into tears. He seemed to have been deeply moved by the video clips prepared by the fans. A few minutes later, he turned his back to the audience to wipe away the tears, And then he just dropped to the floor and broke down. Shortly after, he explained that he wasn't feeling well ahead of the event...but then he was moved to tears by the love his fans had shown him. This footage went viral via social media...causing some Korean fans to worry that the actor is having a difficult time due to the negative impact his sudden rise to stardom had in his life...such as hectic schedules and some die-hard fans invading his privacy.